Product Design and Society

Subject Code SHDS2360

Subject Title Product Design and Society

Credit Value 3

Level 2

Medium of English Instruction

Pre-requisite/ Nil Co-requisite/ Exclusion

Prior Knowledge Nil Objectives To provide students with an opportunity: 1. To describe the complexity and multi-disciplinary nature of the process of product design and development. 2. To identify and sketch the product development challenges of modern society and future trends.

Intended Learning Upon completion of the subject, students will be able to: Outcomes a. Appreciate the fundamental design principles of products which are encountered in day-to-day life. b. Review and evaluate the strength and limitations of existing products and predict the future trends of a selected product or product category by exploring up-to-date information. c. Use a systematic approach to develop creative design solutions to satisfy identified need. d. Use different modes of communications effectively to present outcomes of product design activities.

Subject Synopsis/ Introduction to Product Design – Characteristics of successful Indicative Syllabus product, who designs and develops products? challenge of product development to our society and case study.

Overview of Product Design Process – Opportunity identification, customer needs, market survey, concept generation and evaluation, realization of the design concept, prototyping and testing. Design/communication Tools for Product Design – hand sketching, CAD geometric modelling, computer-aided engineering drawing, oral and written communication. Design for X and Future Trends – Design for manufacture and assembly, affordability, safety and reliability, quality, environment,

human factors/ergonomics. Product Development Economics – Dynamic marketing environment, identifying and selecting markets, price determination and pricing strategies.

Teaching/Learning This is an introductory subject aiming at arousing students’ interest Methodology and awareness of underling process followed by product designers to develop products used in day-to-day life. Students from different educational backgrounds can get the opportunity of appreciating how different disciplinary knowledge is integrated in developing a functional, safe, user-friendly, eco-friendly, visually pleasing and economically successful product. Students will be encouraged to think critically how their own major studies can contribute/ influence in the decision-making process of product development. The course provides students with the opportunity to develop essential knowledge in product design and development, team working and communication skills through activity-, project-, and problem-based learning approaches. It also allows students to develop strategies to enable and direct their own learning through positive interaction with peers coming from different majors, course facilitators and learning resources.

Lectures are used to deliver the fundamentals knowledge related to product design process and teach to appreciate the key design features of products use in day-to-day life (outcomes (a) – (c)). Professional product designers will be invited to deliver joint lectures/seminars, with the subject lecturer, on practical issues of product design and emerging trends of the industry. Tutorials and computer laboratories are used to illustrate the application of fundamental knowledge to practical situations, and to introduce the use of design tools (outcomes (a) – (d)).

Group project is used to apply concepts learned to develop creative design solutions for an identified need and enhance team-working and communication skills (outcomes (c) and (d)). Teaching/Learning Learning Outcomes Methodology a b c d 1. Lectures    2. Tutorials and computer     laboratories 3. Group project  

Assessment Methods in Alignment with Specific assessment % Intended subject Intended Learning methods/tasks weighting learning outcomes Outcomes to be assessed a b c d Continuous 100% Assessment Test and Quizzes 40%    Case Study Report 30%    Group Design project 30%     Presentation Total 100%

The group design project will be carried out by student group of 3 - 4 members. The outcome of the group design project is presented in oral presentation.

Individual test, quizzes and case study report are used to assess student’s individual performance in studying this subject. Student Study Effort Class contact: Expected . Lecture and seminars 26 Hrs.

. Tutorials and computer laboratories 13 Hrs.

Other student study effort:

. Literature survey and report writing 34 Hrs.

. Self-study and individual assignments 20 Hrs.

. Group design project and oral presentation 24 Hrs.

Total student study effort 117 Hrs.

Reading List and Textbooks

References 1. KT Ulrich and ST Eppinger, Product Design and Development, McGraw Hill Education, latest edition

2. CL Dym and P Little, Engineering Design – A Project-based Introduction, John Wiley, latest edition

3. DG Ullman, The Mechanical Design Process, McGraw Hill Education, latest edition

4. RJ Eggert, Engineering Design, Prentice Hall, latest edition